By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
November 11, 2004

Children at St. Boniface Parish in Sioux City are given a unique opportunity to share in the readings of the Mass.

The young parishioners, three-year-olds to second graders, are able to participate in the children's liturgy each Sunday at 10 a.m. Mass. A parent volunteer, one of seven mothers, gathers the children before the readings and the Gospel to go into the sacristy for a session that brings the readings to a level that the children understand.

The parent volunteers include Michele Feauto, main facilitator; Colleen Homan, Amy Prochello, Alison Benson, Kim Olson, Brenda Sitzman and Theresa Fitch. The mothers rotate every seventh Sunday so that not one person has to lead every Sunday. If one mother is scheduled and something comes up, the others are willing to switch days.

During the readings, Gospel and homily, the children and parent volunteer talk about God and the readings of the day. Their time together starts and ends with a group prayer and in between the children learn together about God and how he is in their lives.

For example, at one liturgy, the children talked about their pets and other living things in their life that God created. The children were very eager to raise their hands and share about their pets. They drew pictures of their pets to share with the group and each child wanted everyone to see what they had drawn.

"They are so young," said Homan. "We can put it in their terms and bring it down to their level. A lot of what father talks about is way above them. With that age, visual is a big thing so when they have a project that can go home or they can repeat it to their parents, it sinks in a little bit better."

They also participate in an art project of some kind such as a coloring page or craft to take home. One Sunday the children made crosses that said God and love on them to remind the children that God loves them and that they should love God and everything that he created.

Homan hopes that the children realize "that God is with them all the time, that he loves them no matter what. In their little lives, whether they get mad at their brother, God will still love them."

At the young age, it is hard to teach the children the Ten Commandments, so they are taught the simple things such as treat others the way they want to be treated and what Jesus would do.

On any given week there are from six to 22 children that participate in the children's portion of Mass. Some of the children that attend have an older brother or sister or parent come with them so that they feel more comfortable. The children are excited to participate and share with the others what they know.

According to Homan, this is the third year that St. Boniface has provided this Mass for the children of the parish.

"We had talked about it for a long time and someone stepped up and organized it," said Homan. Feauto and Homan organized it in the beginning and found the other mothers as time went on.

"It is a way to give back what the church and this parish has given me," said Homan. "The kids enjoy it. You have to start small and work big. If you start when they are little, they may go away from the church at one point in their life, but I think they will always come back because they will remember what they did when they were young."